How To Choose Hardwood Flooring

Trends | Did you know | Surfaces and Finishes | At a glance
Glossary | Specialty Items | Your Retail Experience | Warranties

THE TOP 7 TRENDS IN WOOD FLOORING

From light to dark, narrow to wide, domestic to exotic, smooth to distressed — wood flooring has evolved dramatically over the past 10 years. What’s hot now in wood flooring? Check out the seven hottest decorating trends:

#1: Getting into character: Wood flooring is not as clean as it used to be. The trend right now is soft rustic, lightly sculpted character-grade goods that are less aggressive than in years past.

#2: Going exotic: Exotic hardwood flooring is one of the hottest selling products in the hardwood category. Think tigerwood, Santos mahogany, Pangali ironwood and kempas.

#3: The dark side: The light-colored woods of Frasier are out, and darker, CSI-esque storylines are all the rage in hardwood. Look for rich colors, such as chocolate browns, blacks and smoky looks.

#4: Going wide: Wide-plank floors — defined as wood floors that are at least 3 inches wide, but can measure up to a foot wide — are popular and lend themselves to a variety of decorating styles, from elegant and formal living rooms and dining rooms, to comfortable and casual family rooms and eat-in kitchens.

#5: Being thin: Ah, the preoccupation with thinness has even seeped into flooring. Thinner solids — as thin as 5/16-inch — are stealing the spotlight from more traditional ¾-inch goods.

#6: Getting personal: It’s all about customization — borders and medallions, as simple or intricate as you like.

#7: Engineering success: While there will always be a market for solid wood flooring, there’s no denying the growth of engineered flooring, which offers flexible installation options, such as staple, glue-down and floating techniques, on virtually any level of the home.

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Did You Know About Hardwood Flooring...

Did you know...?

When the first American colonists arrived in the 1600s, trees, such as heart pine, covered millions of acres and lived for centuries, growing extremely tall and wide in their efficient ecosystem. After heavy logging began and intensified during the Industrial Revolution, it was discovered that heart pine, which was straight, strong and immense, could yield large beams and boards to support machinery and the workers who ran them. Subsequently, by the 1930s, the vast, dense forest that once greeted explorers was gone.

Today, surviving virgin longleaf pine reportedly covers far less than 1 percent of the area of the original forest. However, because heart pine was used so extensively in construction, it can still be found in large quantities, particularly in older industrial buildings east of the Mississippi River. In other cases, you may find heart pine or heart cypress trees where they were left behind — under water on the southern rivers used by many timber operations in the 1800s to raft their logs to nearby sawmills. And this untapped supply of wood, serving as foundations or laying preserved under water for hundreds of years, can now be purchased for use as a wood floor. Ask you retail flooring specialist if he or she carries reclaimed or recovered wood.

Did you know...?

The gloss level of a hardwood floor is totally a personal preference and does not affect its durability or performance. Keep in mind, though, that low-gloss floors tend to hide the appearance of minor surface scratches that occur over time, while higher glosses can make scratches look more obvious.

Did you know...?

The angle at which a board is cut — plainsawn, quartersawn or riftsawn — determines how the finished product looks.

Did you know...?

One of the hottest trends in hardwood flooring is handscraped whereby individual planks and strips of flooring are "distressed" – literally beaten, shaved, and scraped to create a rustic, old world, handcrafted look. Some of these type floors are actually mechanically scraped and therefore somewhat less expensive.

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Types of Hardwood Surface and Finishes

Oil-modified urethane is easy to apply. It is a solvent-base polyurethane that dries in about eight hours. This type of finish ambers.

Moisture-cured urethane is solvent-base polyurethane that is more durable and more moisture resistant than other surface finishes. Moisture-cure urethane comes in non-yellowing and in ambering types and is generally available in satin or gloss. These finishes are extremely difficult to apply, have a strong odor and are best left to the professional.

Conversion varnish dries clear to slight amber and is durable. These finishes have an extremely strong odor and should be applied by the highly skilled flooring professional.

Water-based urethane finishes are clear and non-yellowing. They have a milder odor and dry in about two to three hours.

Penetrating stain and wax: This finish soaks into the pores of the wood and hardens to form a protective penetrating seal. The wax gives a low-gloss satin sheen. It is generally maintained with solvent-based (never water-based) waxes, buffing pastes or cleaning liquids (specifically made for wax-finished wood floors and an additional thin application of wax as needed).

Source: woodfloors.org

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Hardwood Floors At A Glance

Wood Species Installed by Contractors

• 50% = Red oak
• 22% = White oak
• 8% = Brazilian cherry
• 7% = Other exotic species (not identified)
• 7% = Maple
• 5% = Other domestic species (cherry, ash, birch, beech)
• 2% = Heart pine

Wood Species Sold by Distributors

• 36% = Red oak
• 17% = White oak
• 17% = Other exotic species
• 11% = Brazilian cherry
• 10% = Maple
• 8% = Other domestic species
• 1% = Heart pine

Source: Hardwood Floors, a National Wood Flooring Association publication

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GLOSSARY

Beveled edge: The sides of each board of wood are sanded or angled to create grooves or an outline effect around each board.

Eased edge or micro-beveled edge: Edges are slightly angled where they meet to create a less apparent outline.

Edge and end detail: Special milling on the edges of each individual board to create visual effects.

Engineered wood: Constructed of multiple layers of crossgrain woods that are bonded together. Designed for installation at any house level including below grade. The most structurally sound, engineered wood floors have all of the beauty of real wood because they are real wood.

On-site finish: Today’s environmentally friendly sanding techniques take much of the mess out of having a floor sanded and refinished on site. However, these generally do not perform as well as factory-finished floors.

Plank: Wood board 3 inches or wider.

Prefinished: Wood that features factory-applied finishes, which are generally superior to on-site finishes in terms of both wearlayer performance and clarity. No fumes, no imperfections, no drying time, no dust, no fuss.

Solid wood: Milled from one piece of wood into boards that are 3/4-inch thick. Should not be installed below grade, as moisture makes it expand and contract. Typically, solid wood floors can be sanded and refinished several times. They also offer a very wide selection of colors and stains.

Square edge: Boards fit flush against each other for a smooth traditional look.

Strip: Wood board less than 3 inches wide.

Wood species: The type of tree such as ash, birch, maple or cherry. According to the National Wood Flooring Association, the top five hardwood species are red oak, white oak, walnut, hickory and Brazilian cherry.

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SPECIALTY ITEMS FOR HARDWOOD FLOORING

Medallions & Borders – As discussed earlier, medallions and borders have always been available in hardwood flooring – the problem has always been that very often these additions were very costly requiring expert installers and complicated, detailed work. Today, some manufacturers are offering pre-cut and even pre-assembled medallions that give you the same dramatic look at a fraction of the cost. Borders too have become more affordable through specialty trimpieces that fit right in with your other hardwood flooring planks.
Floor Vents – With central air and heating systems that come up through the floor, no flooring job is complete without floor vents and registers. While these specialty products can be somewhat expensive, the look of a fully finished floor can be quite dramatic.
Transitions and moldings – These are the pieces that bridge one type of flooring to another. Available in virtually every flooring style you can think of, transitions and moldings put a finishing touch on your floor.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU WALK INTO A FLOORING RETAIL STORE...

1. What kind of wood floor are you looking for?

• What colors are already present in the room?
• What is your look — modern, transitional, contemporary?
• How big is the room?
• What rooms lead into this room? A big yard? The front door? Is it in a room away from entrances? Is there a lot of foot traffic? Moisture in the room?

2. How much wood flooring do you need? Although your flooring dealer will send a professional to take exact measurements, it’s important to have a rough estimate of your room size so you can plan your budget.

3. How much do you want to spend?

4. Are you interested in upgrade products? Exotic woods?

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THE WARRANTY MAZE

Prefinished hardwood floors typically carry a lifetime warranty on structural integrity. Finish warranties can range from three to 25 years. If you’re looking for the best warranty protection, prefinished floors are warranted to last longer than site-finished floors —typically 15 to 25 years vs. 3 to 5 years. This is because factory-applied urethane finishes are much tougher and longer lasting than site-applied finishes.

Source: Armstrong.com